Overview
Outlook
Data
Training
Description
Chemists conduct research and analysis in support of industrial operations, product and process development, quality control, environmental control, medical diagnosis and treatment, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other applications. They also conduct theoretical, experimental, and applied research into basic chemical and biochemical processes to create or synthesize new products and processes. They are employed in research, development, and quality control laboratories; chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries; mineral, metal and pulp and paper industries; and a wide variety of manufacturing, utility, health, educational and government establishments.
Job Titles
- Agricultural chemist
- Analytical chemist
- Bioanalytical chemist
- Biochemist
- Chemist
- Clinical chemist
- Coatings chemist
- Electrochemist
- Environmental chemist
- Food chemist
- Inorganic chemist
- Medicinal chemist
- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist
- Oceanographic chemist
- Organic chemist
- Organic mass spectrometrist
- Organometallic chemist
- Pharmacological chemist
- Physical chemist
- Polymer chemist
- Quality control chemist
- Research chemist
- Soil chemist
- Textile chemist
Main Duties
- Analyze, synthesize, purify, modify and characterize chemical or biochemical compounds
- Develop and conduct programs of analysis to ensure quality control of raw materials, chemical intermediates or final products
- Conduct programs of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
- Conduct research to develop new chemical formulations and processes and devise new technical applications of industrial chemicals and compounds
- Conduct research to discover, develop, refine and evaluate new products such as those used in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and other applications of chemistry
- Conduct fundamental and applied research into the synthesis and properties of chemical compounds and the mechanisms of chemical reactions
- Investigate chemical aspects of the mechanisms of drug action, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, organ function and the assessment of health
- Participate in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
- Act as technical consultant in a particular field of expertise
- May participate in the commercialization of new products
- May supervise other chemists and chemical technicians and technologists.
Workplaces
- Chemical industries
- Development laboratories
- Educational establishments
- Government establishments
- Health care establishments
- Manufacturing companies
- Metal industries
- Mineral industries
- Petrochemical companies
- Pulp and paper companies
Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Digital Literacy
- Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment
- Oral Communication: Oral Comprehension
- Oral Communication: Oral Expression
Abilities
- Categorization Flexibility
- Colour Perception
- Deductive Reasoning
- Fluency of Ideas
- Inductive Reasoning
Personal Attributes
- Active Learning
- Analytical Thinking
- Adaptability
- Attention to Detail
- Collaboration
Similar Occupations
- Architecture and science managers (20011)
- Geoscientists and oceanographers (21102)
- Other professional occupations in physical sciences (21109)
- Biologists and related scientists (21110)
- Chemical engineers (21320)
- Geochemist (in 21102.01 Geoscientists)
- Metallurgist (in 21109.01 Metallurgists)
- Materials scientist (in 21109.02 Materials scientists)
- Molecular biologist (in 21110.02 Microbiologists and cell and molecular biologists)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be good for Chemists (21101) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
- A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about Chemists in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
- Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
- Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 73%
- Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 8%
- Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 6%
- 76% of chemists work all year, while 24% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 44 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 33% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: 67% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: n/a
- high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: n/a
- bachelor’s degree: 65% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 28% compared to 8% for all occupations
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $19.00 | $31.25 | $74.52 |
| Canada | $24.06 | $38.00 | $67.31 |
Training
There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.
More Info
View the full occupational profile with details on work characteristics, interests, employment requirements and more on the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS) website.
Related Jobs
There are currently no job listings for this occupation on WorkPEI.